The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday walked out of the Rajya Sabha over remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Nishikant Dubey about the party’s founder and former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik.. Biju Janata Dal MP Sasmit Patra speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the second part of the Budget session of Parliament. (Sansad TV). As soon as the house gathered, BJD’s Sasmit Patra said, “We want to place on record our serious protest against the disparaging, false and concocted statements by Nishikant Dubey against Biju Patnaik”.. “This is the level that the ruling party has fallen to… this is utterly shameful,” he said, announcing that the party was walking out.. On Sunday, Patra resigned from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications & IT in which is headed by Dubey, in protest against the disparaging remarks against Patnaik.. Also Read:Biju Naveen Foundation: Patnaik clarifies timing amid BJP attack over intent. Although the BJD was not a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as a neutral party, it supported the government in key legislative issues.. Meanwhile, Dubey said he did not make any allegations against Patnaik.. “Biju Patnaik ji was a tall freedom fighter, and the BJP showed full respect to him… When Congress did injustice with Biju Babu, Jan Sangh and BJP stood by him… I repeat that I am releasing a series on the acts of Nehru-Gandhi family. Tell me, which allegation did I level at Biju Babu in my tweet?… If anyone is hurt by what I have written in my tweets, then I can only try to make them understand,” he told news agency ANI.
